When trying to find the right soil to use for a Camellia, there are a variety of factors at play that will play a role in deciding what you should use.
As you may already know, not all types of soil are made equal and can even be detrimental if the wrong type is used on Camellia’s.
So here you will find everything you need to know about Camellia Soil Requirements so you can pick the right kind and grow some happy and healthy Camellia plants!
Soil Ph For Camellia Plant
One of the most important parts about soil selection for Camellia’s is the soil ph.
Camellia plants are acidic soil loving plants and need to be in a soil ph range of 5.0 to 6.5.
If the Camellia is planted in soil that is too alkaline, meaning above 7.0, then this can cause nutrient loss in the plant.
Nutrient loss will result in chlorosis which is a loss of chlorophyll and you can expect yellow leaves as a result of not being able to use photosynthesis properly.
Planting in somewhat acidic soil will prevent this issue from happening so you want to stay in the listed range ideally.
If you’re unsure what your current soil ph is, you can get an at home ph tester for a reasonable price.
Depending on what the result is, you may need to lower or raise the ph which can be done a few ways.
To raise the ph in the soil, you can add a tablespoon of baking soda to a gallon of water and then apply it to the soil.
To lower the ph of the soil you can use some aluminum sulfate by following the manufacturers directions.
Type Of Soil For Camellia
When selecting soil for a camellia, the most important things to remember is that the soil needs to be well draining and contain some organic materials.
If the soil doesn’t drain well, you can expect to run into some of the following symptoms.
- Standing water
- Yellow leaves
- Brown leaves or tips
- Drooping leaves
- Stunted or slowed growth
- Pests on your Camellia
- Curling Camellia leaves
A commercial potting mix for acid-loving plants will solve this dilemma for you when it comes to the soil.
I recommend this potting mix by the way.
As for organic materials, you can use shredded bark and mulched oak leaves as a foundation and then add more as you go depending on how your Camellia does.
Also if you want to increase the soil ph a bit, you can try using some used coffee grounds, a handful will work just fine.
As for soil drainage, there are a variety of ways to increase this and one of the more popular ways is to add some perlite to the soil mix.
So overall you want acidic soil, with organic material that drains well and you will be good to go.
Conclusion
So there you have it, everything you need to know about Camellia soil requirements so you can get started with the right type of soil.
As always I hope you find this information useful and enjoy the process!